Cytology of clear cell carcinoma of the female genital tract in fine needle aspirates and ascites

OBJECTIVE: To define the cytomorphologic features of clear cell carcinoma ( CCC) of the female genital tract. STUDY DESIGN: The study consisted of four CCCs of the female genital tract in which clinical and histologic confirmation had been done. Cytologic find ings were evaluated with May-Grunwald-Giemsa (MGG) stain of three cases of fine needle aspiration (FNA) material and peritoneal fluid cytology. All th e FNA materials were obtained from metastatic supraclavicular lymph nodes. RESULTS: We report here the cytomorphologic features of three FNA biopsies and peritoneal fluid cytology from four patients. Primary tumors from patie nts with aspiration material from supraclavicular lymph nodes were located in the ovary in two patients and vagina in one. The peritoneal fluid cytolo gy was obtained from a patient with uterine cervical tumor. Cytologic findi ngs were similar in all preparations. The cells had abundant, pale, finely vacuolated cytoplasm with indistinct cytoplasmic membranes. The nuclei were round to oval, with fine chromatin. The characteristic feature of CCC of t he genital tract was basement membrane-like substance. This hyaline extrace llular material stained pinkish to purple-red in MGG preparations and was f requently observed within the cancer cell clusters. In ascitic fluid, psamm oma bodies were also observed. CONCLUSION: The cytomorphologic characteristics of CCC of the genital tract are distinctive, and the entity may easily be diagnosed even at metastatic locations.